TBK slips past Blue Haus in overtime

TBK Mechanics’ Nate Mateo drives against three Blue Haus defenders during the fourth quarter of their game in the DL Corp. caging last Monday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Nate Mateo canned two charities to send the game into overtime, while his twin brother Dan had a split and Lerio Pagarao drilled his last two free throws in the extension period to lift TBK to its third win in six games. Blue Haus dropped to a 2-4 slate.

Nate dropped the two free throws in the last 0.6 of a second of the regulation after drawing a foul on Roy Hernandez. The big play started after Blue Haus’ Brendon Talania missed a jumper with the 24-second shot clock winding down and Nate rushed to their frontcourt and was eventually hounded by Blue Haus’ Roy Hernandez and Edwin Camacho at the right corner outside the 3-point area. Trapped and time pressured, Nate went on a foul-fishing expedition and Hernandez took the bait and was called for a foul. The TBK guard calmly sank the bonus shots to send the game into extra five minutes, as Blue Haus ran out of time to pull up for a decent shot.

In overtime, Blue Haus was without a field goal and had only three free throws in the first three minutes, while Pagarao took over TBK’s offense, scoring the team’s first seven points. TBK was in control in the extra period, but Blue Haus refused to give up, threatening the former the last time, 101-103, with 23.4 seconds left on the clock. Blue Haus then gave up a preemptive foul to send Dan Mateo to the line and the TBK guard split his charities. He missed the second one, but Ivan Devero got the offensive board and passed the leather to Pagarao, who was eventually fouled and knocked in the two free throws to seal it for TBK, 13.5 seconds left in the game.

Pagarao top-scored for TBK with his 37 points, while Nate Mateo chipped in 29. Devero and Ed Pangelinan also tallied double figures with 13 and 11, respectively. Talania led all scorers with his 40 markers, while Jessie Santos added 20. J.R. Barrios contributed 12 for Blue Haus, but fouled out midway in the fourth, while Hernandez missed the entire overtime, leaving the closing seconds of the regulation with 8 points.

Meanwhile, free throw shooting also played an important role in the Destroyers’ 94-90 victory over Saipan Ice & Water.

Elmer Esdrelon scored the last 4 points of the Destroyers and all of them came from the foul line The Destroyers needed Esdrelon’s charities to foil Saipan Ice’s comeback bid. The Destroyers once led by twin digits, 47-35, but Saipan Ice managed to cut the deficit to a deuce entering the fourth period, 65-67, behind the 14-point explosion of Derrick Rangamar in the third.

The game remained close in the fourth canto with Junar Guiab keeping the Destroyers afloat in the early goings of the final frame before Esdrelon finished the job with his crucial charities.

MONDAY
TBK Mechanics 106 – Pagarao 37, N. Mateo 29, I. Devero 13, Pangelinan 11, Catalla 8, N. Mateo 5, Rio 2.

Blue Haus 101 – Talania 40, Santos 20, Barrios 12, E. Camacho 10, Moises 9, Hernandez 8, Olivos 2.

Scoring by quarters: 23-18, 37-46, 70-69, 92-92, 106-101 (OT).

SUNDAY
Destroyers 94 – Esdrelon 17, Duenas 16, De Dios 15, Guiab 14, Guntar 9, Fernandez 7, Santos 6, Diaz 2.

Saipan Ice 90 – Rangamar 27, Lizama 18, N. Saralu 14, Pena 10, R. Saralu 8, Kaipat 8, Pharmin 4.

Scoring by quarters: 19-20, 47-35, 67-65, 94-90.